A cleaning apparatus for a ceiling transport vehicle is provided which can be advantageously installed in a clean room. A cleaning apparatus for cleaning a ceiling transport vehicle includes an air blower for blowing air to the ceiling transport vehicle when the ceiling transport vehicle, which can travel along a travel rail provided on a ceiling side in a clean room, is stationary in a closed off space which is closed off from exterior space.
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1. A cleaning apparatus comprising an air blower for blowing air to a ceiling transport vehicle for traveling along a travel rail provided on a ceiling side in a clean room to clean the ceiling transport vehicle, comprising a partition for defining closed off space which is closed off from exterior space, and a vertically moving device for maintenance having a casing which the ceiling transport vehicle traveling on the travel rail can enter, and that includes, within the casing, a vertically moving mechanism for moving the ceiling transport vehicle away from the ceiling side toward a floor, wherein the partition is configured to allow the ceiling transport vehicle to enter the closed off space by traveling, wherein the closed off space is defined by the casing as the partition, wherein the air blower is provided within the casing, and wherein the air blower performs a cleaning operation on the ceiling transport vehicle that is stationary in the closed off space.
A cleaning apparatus cleans ceiling transport vehicles used in clean rooms. It uses an air blower to remove contaminants. The apparatus features a partitioned, closed-off space that the transport vehicle enters. A vertically moving device with a casing allows maintenance; the vehicle travels inside the casing, and a mechanism moves it down from the ceiling towards the floor. The air blower resides within this casing, performing a cleaning operation when the vehicle is stationary inside the closed-off space. The closed-off space is defined by the casing and a partition.
2. The cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the partition is provided with a fan filter unit which includes a fan for drawing in air in the closed off space and for discharging air to outside the closed off space, and a filter for cleaning the air to be discharged.
The cleaning apparatus described above includes a fan filter unit in the partition of the closed-off space. This unit has a fan that draws air from inside the closed-off space and exhausts it outside after passing it through a filter. The filter cleans the exhausted air, maintaining cleanliness within the closed-off cleaning environment.
3. The cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 2 , wherein the partition is provided with an entrance opening through which the ceiling transport vehicle enters the closed off space, and an exit opening through which the ceiling transport vehicle exits the closed off space, wherein there are provided an opening and closing device corresponding to the entrance opening which can be switched between an open state in which the entrance opening is opened and a closed state in which the entrance opening is closed; an opening and closing device corresponding to the exit opening which can be switched between an open state in which the exit opening is opened and a closed state in which the exit opening is closed; a controller for controlling opening and closing operations of the opening and closing device corresponding to the entrance opening and the opening and closing device corresponding to the exit opening as well as a cleaning operation of the air blower; a dust concentration measuring device for measuring concentration of dust in the closed off space, wherein after controlling operations of the opening and closing device corresponding to the entrance opening and the opening and closing device corresponding to the exit opening to switch the opening and closing device corresponding to the entrance opening and the opening and closing device corresponding to the exit opening to the closed state with the ceiling transport vehicle stopped in the closed off space, the controller controls an operation of the air blower to cause a cleaning operation of the air blower to be started, and wherein, after causing a cleaning operation of the air blower to be started, the controller is configured to control operation of the air blower to end the cleaning operation of the air blower when the controller determines, based on measurement information of the dust concentration measuring device, that the concentration of dust in the closed off space has fallen to a set dust concentration.
The cleaning apparatus described above incorporates entrance and exit openings in the partition of the closed-off space for vehicle passage. Opening and closing mechanisms control each opening. A controller manages the opening/closing devices and the air blower's operation. A dust concentration sensor monitors dust levels within the closed-off space. When a vehicle is stationary, the controller closes both openings and activates the air blower. The cleaning process continues until the dust sensor indicates that the dust concentration has reached a pre-set level, at which point the controller stops the air blower.
4. The cleaning apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the air blower is configured to include a plurality of nozzles for blowing air such that blow target locations can be changed.
The cleaning apparatus described above uses an air blower with multiple adjustable nozzles. These nozzles direct airflow to different locations on the ceiling transport vehicle. This allows for targeted cleaning of specific areas, improving the overall effectiveness of the cleaning process.
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February 28, 2013
June 27, 2017
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